Swivel connection for hydraulic hoists



March 1954 R. ARMINGTON SWIVEL CONNECTION FOR HYDRAULIC HOISTS FiledAug. 27, 1948 IN V EN TOR. R4 rmauo Q. ARM/1V6 701v BY w Eda/aka 8 EM 4TT'OR/YE Y5 Patented Mar. 2, 1954 's'wivst Raymond-Q. Arming-son, S 1iaer nignt ;ohio, 1

assignor to: Th'ei'JEiic'lid Rtfad Machineryflos, Cleveland, Ohio; a;corporation of "Ohio Application August- 27, 1948, Serial No. 46,516

The invention relates "to hydraulic power mo- "tor's'wa'nd moreparticularly to motors of this type having acylinder which is'pivotallysup portedor suspended so as to be oscillatable around an axis ofoscillation.

object-of -the invention is to provide improved means for transmittingfluid power to an oscillatable power cylinder.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved fluid powertransmission means suitable for use with an oscillatable cylinder for afluidpower motor, such means avoiding the use of flexible conduit.

e f urther'object of the invention is to provide improved inflexiblemeans of the nature indicated, said means being adapted to supply fluidpower to an oscillatable cylinder from a plurality of supplysources'through a plurality of conduits.

A further object of theinvention is to provide an oscillatable cylinderhaving an inletiport pro- VidBdwith coupling means -said coupling: meansbeing located on the axis of oscillation of the cylinder, and saidcoupling means receiving fluid power from a conduit, the portion of theconduit next adjacent said coupling means being likewise located on saidaxis of oscillation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a motor mounting of thetype described wherein the mounting of the cylinder for oscillationabout an axis is accomplished solely by means of swivel joints in thepower fluid inlet and outlet pipes.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from theaccompanying drawing and description and the essential features will beset forth in the appended claim.

This application is a continuation in part of my copending applicationSerial No. 578,611, filed February 19, 1945, now Patent No. 2,466,352.

The drawing shows a top plan view of one embodiment of my invention withthe hydraulic motor and supply pipe swivel connections broken away incentral section to more clearly show the construction.

This invention is applied to a double acting cylinder within which apiston reciprocates and it is contemplated that the piston rod will beattached to a lever or crank which, in its operation, requires thedouble acting cylinder of my invention to pivot about an axis ofoscillation which in the present drawings is indicated by the dot-dashline A. The present invention provides novel means for supporting thecylinder for this oscillation so as to allow for moderate twist andswayingof the motor cylinder -following. wear at any of theconnectingpoints without-putting undue stress on the summoni'iection'sto the motorwhich would be apt' to cause damage or breakage. I

It has been customary to introduce the fluid power to opposed ends o'r"the cylinder through means including certain" conduit portionsw ch aresufficiently flexible to permit of cylinder oscillation, andin'practi'ce this wa's *o'ften" -done through rubber hose'co'n'nection's. Y In certain 'plica'tions; such 'asexcavati'ng hoisting,convey ing, or grading devices; the work is -carried' -on in all varietyof climatic conditions work ing hazards; involving the possibility ofinjury to flexible conduit'of the type indicated, andrepairs" arediiiiciilt'or inconvenient, or replace merit parts maynot becon'venierit1y available.-

In solving these problems I have devised a substantially permanentassembly; for a fluid power motor, wherein oscillation of thecylintieris permitte'd'fbut wherein the-fluid power tr fmitting conduit "maybeformedfrom rigid; relatively inflexible piping of the kind normallyavailable, by use of a novel mode of arrangement and connection of saidpiping with respect to the cylinder. This piping is convention metallicconduit and not flexible pipe sections. The objects of the presentinvention are substantially achieved when connection between saidinflexible conduit and said oscillatable cylinder is made at a couplinghaving complementary parts, one part fixed with respect to the cylinderand the other part fixed with respect to the conduit, one said partbeing rotatable with respect to the other said part, and the couplingpoint being located on the axis of oscillation of the cylinder.

In the drawing, I have shown a cylinder 10 in which reciprocates apiston II which is provided with a piston rod I2, one end of which l2ais adapted to be connected to a crank or lever or other device to bemoved. The fluid motor here shown is of the double acting type, fluidpower being admitted alternately to the chambers within cylinder I0 oneach side of the piston II by valving means not shown. Suitable packingis provided at l3 where the piston rod passes through the cylinder head.Inlet and outlet passageways l4 and I5 are provided at opposite ends ofthe cylinder so as to make it double acting. The pressure fluid isintroduced and exhausted through the metallic conduit pipes l8 and I1.These pipes are free of all flxed support for a distance of the order ofseveral feet from the upper end of cylinder III as viewed in .tor.

' 3 the drawings, but at such a distance each pipe is clamped in abracket [8 to a fixed portion of the machine.

The mounting of cylinder 10 for oscillation about the axis a is solelyby means of the swivel connections l9 and 20. These connections areexactly alike and therefore one only will be described. Referring to theswivel connection i9, the nipple 2| is rigid with the pipe I! and isstationary. The sleeve 22 is integral with the cylinder I and oscillatestherewith. A snap ring 23 assembled in a suitable groove in nipple 2iengages against a metal washer 24 which is held in position by anannular sealing ring 25 and a collar 26 which is held by stud bolts 21which are threaded in the suitable openings in the sleeve 22.

The swivel connections l9 and 20 are coaxial on opposite sides of thecylinder and preferably aligned on the diameter of the cylinder.

With the above described construction, the connections to the hydraulicmotor are all of standard pipe which is usually available on aconstruction job and the only other part requiring replacement is thepacking ring 25 for which many emergency materials may be used. Theconstruction, however, provides considerable flexibility in the mountingof the cylinder Ill because of the unusual length of the metal pipes 16and 11 between the brackets 18 and the mo- It should be understood thatin the rough type of equipment for which this invention is particularlyadapted, fine adjustments are not readily made and cannot be maintainedbecause of dirty and difficult working conditions. The presentconstruction, therefore, has proved to be sturdy and dependable in thefield within the limits of the loads capable of being withstood by thepipes 16 and 11.

What I claim is:

In a double acting fluid power motor having a cylinder and a pistonreciprocable therein, the combination of a trunnion mounting at one endof said cylinder providing a pivotal support of said cylinder foroscillation about an axis, said mounting consisting solely of a pair ofpressure fluid conducting, thin walled conduits in fluid communicationwith said cylinder of relatively inflexible material having relativelyrotatable swivel connections located on said axis, one of said conduitsacting as an inlet for one stroke of said piston and an outlet for thereturn stroke, the other of said conduits acting as an outlet for saidone stroke and as an inlet for said return stroke, said conduitscommunicating with said cylinder on said axis, there being passagesoperatively associated with said cylinder and communicating between saidconduits and opposite ends of said cylinder respectively, said conduitsbeing free and unsupported close to said mounting other than by theirconnections with said motor, said conduits having fixed supports spacedseveral feet from their motor connections, and said conduits betweensaid supports and motor connections being rigid enough to support saidmotor and flexible enough to compensate for misalignment betweensaidmotor and parts connected to said motor piston.

RAYMOND Q. ARMINGTON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 674,347 Whitman May 14, 1901 685,563 Botts Oct. 29, 19011,394,245 Berry Oct. 18, 1921 1,499,007 Edwards June 24, 1924 2,113,044Eisenberg, Jr. Apr. 5, 1938 2,398,178 Ellison Apr. 9, 1946 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 2,077 Great Britain Aug. 28, 1860 GreatBritain Jan. 7, 1880 465,429 France Feb. 6, 1914

